The President Is Being Shameless Again

At this moment, Fang Jiaran came out and saw Lin Chu"s lips quaking from trying to stifle laughter. "You guys are just chock-full of noise and excitement every day."

Fang Jiaran, on the other hand, was unable to endure the embarra.s.sment anymore. 

…

Lin Chu and Yan Beicheng returned to B City from T City in the morning. While they were on the plane at around half-past eleven, the Xu Family"s small restaurant had only just ended serving their breakfast menu.

It was a normal working day, which is why their breakfast menu ended early. The restaurant stopped serving breakfast at around nine o"clock in order to prep for lunch.

The lunch menu would officially start being served at around twelve o"clock. Right now, this in-between time was not yet lunch break for those who were working or studying.

There was no one at the restaurant when a man dressed in a suit and sporting a very good-looking figure walked in. 

Xu Jiaojiao was busy doing the restaurant"s accounts behind the cas.h.i.+er"s desk when she looked up after hearing someone entering the restaurant. She immediately noticed the unspeakable confidence and charismatic aura the man was emitting; he had a similar to Yan Beicheng.

Xu Jiaojiao could not help but get suspicious after noticing his overwhelming presence. He might not be as well-known as Yan Beicheng, but his family background seemed to be just as prestigious.

Xu Jiaojiao had acquired this sense of intuition after going through the whole Cheng Ziming ordeal. That impostor had a gilded exterior but was inwardly shabby and rotten. Since she had also experienced being around Yan Beicheng, who was a descendant of a genuinely influential family, Xu JIaojiao was now able to distinguish whether or not a person"s temperament was innate or if it was a ruse.

When it came to the man in front of her, it was obviously innate.

Xu Jiaojiao frowned to herself. She was no longer the same naive and stupid girl that constantly fantasized about finding her Prince Charming. She no longer wanted to fall in love simply because the man looked outstanding, nor did she form a favorable impression of someone solely based on their counterpart"s outward appearance. Furthermore, she was no longer somebody that was easily deceived by fluffy words and actions. 

The man noticed that there was no one in the restaurant and proceeded to ask, "Can I order lunch now?"

Xu Jiaojiao was temporarily startled before she snapped back to reality. Then, she quickly nodded and replied, "Of course, have a seat anywhere you like."

The man sat down and ordered a few dishes, but Xu Jiaojiao did not talk much to him. They were merely a small family-run restaurant, not a high-cla.s.s hotel restaurant located in the famous CBD area. She was certain that a man with a supposed-ident.i.ty as amazing as he would never appear in such a small restaurant under normal circ.u.mstances.

Although Yan Beicheng was not a fan of her, he was still her brother-in-law. Even so, Yan Beicheng would not be caught dead in this type of small restaurant. In addition to the hotels and restaurants under his and w.a.n.g Chao"s banner, everywhere else he went was also similarly high-cla.s.s.

Xu Jiaojiao got the feeling that he was hiding evil intentions as she watched this man who seemed like he had deliberately chosen their restaurant.

Xu Jiaojiao had been on high alert ever since going through the whole Zhu Hexuan nightmare. Owing to her relations.h.i.+p with Lin Chu, she became aware that it would be unavoidable that she would run into a similar situation in the future. Whenever well-dressed men with outstanding temperaments appeared, Xu Jiaojiao simply a.s.sumed that they all harbored malicious intentions in order to avoid being caught up in a similar situation again.

Meanwhile, Dai Huimin had gone to the orphanage to look for the old princ.i.p.al whilst the waitress they had hired was busy cleaning up the kitchen alongside the kitchen apprentice. At the same time, they were also preparing the ingredients for lunchtime.

Xu Jiaojiao repeated the dishes that the other party had ordered back to him. Then, she saw the man smile toward her as he nodded. "Thank you."

Xu Jiaojiao nodded back calmly and gave him a courteous smile. "You"re welcome."

She turned around and walked away after doing this. 

She did not notice when the man behind her squinted at her slightly, whilst giving her a thoughtful look.

Xu Jiaojiao took the order and went inside the kitchen to pa.s.s it to Xu Dongguo. Then, she asked the waitress to head out and serve the customers.

The man ate his meal quietly. He made some business calls as he was eating, but he did not talk to Xu Jiaojiao or Xu Dongguo, nor did he interact with the server.

Just as Xu Jiaojiao was about to let her guard down after thinking that she might have misunderstood him, the man finished his meal and nodded toward her before leaving.

Xu Jiaojiao frowned and decided to take extra precautions against this man.

Over the next few days, the man turned up around three or four times at the small restaurant. He did not speak much whenever he came by and would quietly eat by himself after ordering his meal whilst occasionally receiving phone calls from work.

He only exchanged a few words with Xu Jiaojiao over the last two days.

Nevertheless, he did not appear a single time in the week after.

Xu Jiaojiao spent that week in peace. However, a week after this, on Tuesday night, as she was closing up the restaurant for the day, she turned around and saw the man that had disappeared for a week now standing in front of her. 

Xu Jiaojiao blinked a couple of times and looked at the slim man. The well-fitted suit he had on looked extravagant, which only served to make him look even more eminent under the streetlights. 

Even though he was a man of little words whenever he came by, Xu Jiaojiao was still aware of which days he had come and which days he had not. Thus, she knew that he had not come by at all for the past week.

It was not that she had any particular thoughts or feelings toward him. It was just that the customers that usually frequented their small restaurant were ordinary people. It was difficult to not notice somebody with such an outstanding aura whenever he dropped by.

Even the waitress that she had hired remembered the man. On days where he had failed to show, she would whisper to herself, "The overbearing president didn"t stop by today."

On the other hand, Xu Jiaojiao refused to believe that she was the type who would fall in love at first sight with a suspicious-looking president that she had up until now, barely spoke with. He merely dropped by a couple of times without saying much to her. Although she was confident and good-looking, Lin Chu may have been right about her not being so devastatingly beautiful that she would be unforgettable.

There had barely been any interaction between them, so it could not have been because of inner beauty or her charming words or anything of that sort.

Xu Jiaojiao believed that the man who was standing in front of her right now had been waiting for her.

Sure enough, the man straightened up when he saw her coming over and nodded at her. "h.e.l.lo, Miss Xu."

The man smiled warmly when he saw her looking at him. "I heard someone call you this while I was eating at the restaurant."

Xu Jiaojiao"s suspicions grew. In the past, she had not hesitated to show her face in the video in order to expose Zhu Hexuan"s fake news. Her ident.i.ty, name, and appearance were no longer private. One could say that the whole world already knew who she was. Thus, how could such a high-status man in the business world have not known about her? No matter what position the person occupied, he was bound to have heard of Lin Chu"s fiasco.

She was not being narcissistic by any means – this was nothing more than a logical inference.   

Hence, even if they had never talked to each other before, she would not have suspected anything if he knew her name.

However, his little note about not knowing her name prior to hearing it in the restaurant only served to make Xu Jiaojiao extra skeptical of him. 

Xu Jiaojiao kept her thoughts to herself as she faintly nodded. "h.e.l.lo, are you waiting for me?"

The person blushed and bowed his head slightly, then smiled at her. "Miss Xu, am I being rude? I just wanted to ask for a little bit of your time as I have something to say."

Xu Jiaojiao was curious about his intentions and nodded. "Go on."

"I know this is quite sudden and that it"s hard for you to believe me, but I want you to know that I"m being serious about this." The man appeared to be nervous said as he said hesitantly. 

Xu Jiaojiao did not reply. She listened to him quietly before signaling for him to continue talking.

The man bowed slightly and chuckled. He had a pleasant voice, but the way he chuckled under the dim streetlight was slightly unnerving.

"In the beginning, I was just pa.s.sing by after meeting up with one of my clients. I got hungry, so I stopped the car and came in without thinking much of it. When I saw you the first time, there was no sudden eruption of emotions or anything like that. It was just like meeting any other ordinary stranger, and it wasn"t like I"d see you anymore anyway. But I have to say, your father"s cooking is really good. So, when I had the time, I"d come here to eat to my heart"s content."

The man chuckled again and said in embarra.s.sment. "I"m a person that likes to eat, and so long as the food is tasty, I"d be willing to make the trip just to eat the food I"m craving. You can guess that I"m not an ordinary office worker just by looking at my usual attire, but I"m also not the type who only eats at hotel restaurants. If food from a roadside stand is tasty, I"d probably come back for it as well. This is the reason why I"d come back for a meal here from time to time.

"At first, I was just here for the food, but after eating here a few times, I overheard some things about you from the neighboring table. I don"t really know the details, but I do know that this small restaurant belongs to your family. After graduating from a prestigious school, you started to run your family"s restaurant and slowly improved the business. I admire girls like you who have grit and are willing to go through hards.h.i.+p; not to mention, you seem to have your own set of motivations and goals as well. At this point, I had a great impression of you, but it was not like I started liking you or anything."

The man looked sincere and paused for a while before continuing, "But as I was eating, I couldn"t help but secretly observe you. I started to learn more about you, which caused me to pay extra attention to you. I couldn"t help but watch everything you"d do. I know that you"re quite the perfectionist in carrying out your task, and I also saw how witty your responses to the other patrons were, which shows that you"re quite clever. You also work harder so that your parents can take it easy and take a break to enjoy life. I noticed you working diligently and without complaints whilst advancing toward your goal.

"I admire you. The more attention I paid toward you, the more I gradually started to like you." The man looked at Xu Jiaojiao with an expression that seemed genuine and sincere. "I didn"t come last week because I was on a business trip. After coming back today, I was busy handling some matters in the company, and by the time it was done it was already late so I didn"t know if you"d still be around. However, I came by anyway because the past week in which I didn"t get to see you made me certain of my feelings. Your face kept popping into my mind while I was away. I thought of you from time to time, and it wasn"t that bad while I was busy with work. However, once I"m free to explore my thoughts, you are all that I think about. I"ll get distracted when I"m alone or even when I"m in the meeting, my mind constantly occupied by thoughts of you. This is something that"s never happened to me before."

"I"ve thought about many times this week. If you come with me and let me protect you, I"ll never let you be tired again. I"ll support and help you with your goals as you develop the restaurant. I"ll help you save up your strength so that you"ll have more time and be able to live for yourself for once." 

Xu Jiaojiao thought about this but did not reply. She had lived for herself for the past 24 years and had never once thought about others. All she cared about was her own happiness, such that when she had been wronged, she would complain about everything and everyone but herself. She never once considered the difficulties and grievances her loved ones faced as she only ever thought about herself.

She had already experienced a life where she would only live for herself. She knew what it was like and was not interested in pursuing such a lifestyle.

The man saw Xu Jiaojiao"s expressionless face which made it seem as if she were thinking things over. Thus, he blinked and continued, "I thought everything through thoroughly over the past week. So, as soon as I came back, I couldn"t wait and immediately came here on impulse."

The shadows from Xu Jiaojiao"s long hair covered the expression on her face as she looked toward the ground. Because of this, the man did not see the grin she had on her face.

"If you couldn"t wait a moment longer, why"d you go back to the company and work overtime before coming here?"

"I didn"t think I"d actually see you here since I was worried that you"d have left by now." The man said in a pleasant voice.

"Jiaojiao… Can I call you that?" The man asked. He did not wait for her response before continuing, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

He took a business card out of his pocket and handed it over to her. "This is my business card."

Xu Jiaojiao looked down at the business card in his hand and read the words neatly printed on it. "Xing Chuang Entertainment. CEO. Lu Zhenghang."

Xu Jiaojiao"s heart dropped as she felt her chest tightening up.

She had heard this name before. Lin Chu had mentioned him before, and she knew he was not a good guy!

"I know that it"s quite sudden, and I don"t need your reply right away since you barely know anything about me. But, please do consider." Lu Zhenghang said whilst standing under the dim streetlight. This young handsome man that was seemingly as fine as jade was indeed a n.o.ble character that Xu Jiaojiao rarely encountered.

Nevertheless, even if it was rare, it was not like she had never encountered one before. There was Yan Beicheng who she constantly interacted with, so what was so special about Lu Zhenghang anyway?

"Sorry. I can"t." Xu Jiaojiao looked up and said bluntly. There was not an ounce of regret in her as she bowed apologetically.

Lu Zhenghang appeared to be shocked by her reply. He stared at Xu Jiaojiao"s expression and felt confused at the fact that it was not the usual sort of refusal that was infused with hints of desire or bashfulness. She was sincerely rejecting his proposal. 

Lu Zhenghang frowned. "Miss Xu, do you think that I am unsuitable for you?"

"Mr. Lu, I know who you are." Xu Jiaojiao looked at him coldly. 

Frankly speaking, before she knew who he was, Lu Zhenghang had made a great impression on Xu Jiaojiao. He came over for a meal every other day without talking whilst maintaining a well-mannered and honest appearance. 

Even though she was aware that in her current state, she could no longer chase after a Mr. Right that was tall, rich and handsome. However, it did not hinder her from secretly admiring beautiful people and stealthily forming a favorable impression of them.   

She used to admire his elegant temperament, his manners, as well as his handsome appearance from afar. When she saw him stopping by, she could not help but feel happy; when he stopped coming, she felt disappointed. 

As she was closing up tonight and saw him standing there waiting for her, for a moment, Xu Jiaojiao felt happy and was looking forward to what he had to say. Whether or not she would accept him was one thing, but she could at least have the pleasure of enjoying the moment.

However, once she found out that he was Lu Zhenghang, she was filled with nothing but disgust.

"If you"re Lu Zhenghang, then there"s no way you don"t know who I am. There was no need for you to learn of everything from hearing other people"s conversations, right? I was initially touched by your confession, but now that I know your ident.i.ty, I no longer believe you. Considering that I"m Lin Chu"s sister, did you think that I"d be unaware of who you are? Or did you just a.s.sume that I"m stupid? I personally think that you coming here and trying to use your good looks to get what you want is incredibly naïve."

Xu Jiaojiao smiled coldly. "If you want to plot against Yan Beicheng, please do so in a more just and honorable manner. Stop using such unorthodox methods to exploit the people around him. You"ve already lost the battle if you"re resorting to such methods. Sorry, I have to go." 

Xu Jiaojiao walked past him but quickly stopped in her tracks. She turned around and said, "And, stop coming over in the future. Our restaurant doesn"t mind losing your patronage."

Then, she walked away without turning back.

Lu Zhenghang turned around and watched Xu Jiaojiao"s back as she left. The expression on his was too dark to make out - one could not tell if it was malicious or something else entirely. 

…

By the time Xu Jiaojiao got back, Dai Huimin and Xu Dongguo were both already at home. 

After dinner service, Xu Jiaojiao had asked for Dai Huimin and Xu Dongguo to go home and rest after he had finished frying up the dishes. After this, she stayed behind with the kitchen apprentice and waitress to clean up the restaurant. Then, she did the accounting work for the day before leaving.

This was why Xu Dongguo and Dai Huimin were both not around when she b.u.mped into Lu Zhenghang.

Dai Huiming quickly smiled and welcomed her home when she saw her coming in. "The next time you want to settle the accounts, just bring it home. It"s the same either way. Don"t stay alone in the restaurant. Even if it"s a safe area, it"s still nighttime so we"re worried about you being there alone."

Xu Dongguo was getting old now and had been bending over backward to hold up the pan to cook the whole day. To make matters worse, he had been exerting more energy than usual because the restaurant business had been booming lately. It had become unbearable for him to stay longer hours, so when Xu Jiaojiao asked them to return home they did not refuse. 

Xu Jiaojiao gave it a thought and became worried about encountering another situation like tonight. Earlier, Lu Zhenghang was still humane and tried talking to her nicely. What if he were to go insane in the future? Thus, she nodded and agreed to return home earlier just in case something misfortunate were to occur. 

"Mom, do you still remember the young man who seemed to have a good temperament and was financially well-off? The one that constantly came by to our restaurant?" Xu Jiaojiao asked.

Dai Huimin was pulling Xu Jiaojiao over to the sofa when Xu Jiaojiao asked this. She had washed some apples and brewed a cup of tea for her as well. 

Xu Jiaojiao was not a fan of drinking plain water, she liked something with a hint of flavor to it. Drinking black tea at night would cause one to be unable to fall asleep, so Dai Huimin had especially gone out and bought Pu"er tea for her. It was not those expensive strains, so their household could afford it comfortably.

Furthermore, Xu Jiaojiao would be the only one drinking it. 

Xu Jiaojiao sipped her tea and watched as Dai Huimin tried to recall the man. Then, she asked, "Is it the young man that constantly sat across the menu wall, at the second table from the cas.h.i.+er"s desk?"

Xu Jiaojiao nodded. Then, Dai Huimin continued, "Of course I do, he"s quite the looker, great temperament as well. Even though I"m not very familiar with the type of clothes he wears, they looked like they were made of great material. He looks rich though, so I wonder why"d he want to eat in our small restaurant."

"Then, do you remember Lu Zhenghang?" Xu Jiaojiao continued to ask.

"Of course I do. That son of a b*tch that keeps causing trouble for Lin Chu And Yan Beicheng." Dai Huimin heard Lu Zhenghang"s name and immediately got upset. She began to bounce on the sofa and fumed with rage as she gritted her teeth.

Xu Jiaojiao could not help but laugh. Then, she grabbed onto Dai Huimin"s hand to try and calm her down. "The person that keeps coming to our restaurant was actually Lu Zhenghang."

Dai Huimin and Xu Dongguo were both stunned upon hearing this. Xu Dongguo"s eyes widened as he asked, "What… what does he want?"

Xu Jiaojiao pouted and continued, "I got home late today because of him. I barely knew him but he actually confessed to me. I don"t know what his true intention was, but it was definitely to use me against Yan Beicheng and Big Sister."

It was a lot of pressure for Xu Jiaojiao to refer to Yan Beicheng as her brother-in-law now. She feared his cold expression and did not care to get closer to him.

Dai Huimin held onto Xu Jiaojiao"s hand tightly and nervously asked, "What did you say to him?"

Dai Huimin knew that Lu Zhenghang"s sudden appearance in the restaurant had attracted a lot of young female customers. Even the young waitress liked to serve him in particular.

"Don"t be nervous." Xu Jiaojiao rolled her eyes. "Do you think that I"m a fool? That Lu Zhenghang"s completely brainless and thought that I"d just fall into his trap. It"s time to teach him that life is unfair. If it were someone else, I would"ve been very happy. I might"ve even agreed after some careful consideration. But for him? Forget it. I already knew that I"m just being used by him, so why would I agree?"

Dai Huimin heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she grabbed onto Xu Jiaojiao"s hand. "JIaojiao, I don"t know what he"s planning. What if he tries to find other means to hurt you because of the rejection today? From tomorrow onward, just come home with us at night, otherwise, I"ll be worried sick."

"I thought the same as well. I"ll start doing the accounts at home starting tomorrow." Dai Huimin immediately felt better after hearing Xu Jiaojiao"s reply.